Once again, the culprit is budget cuts. Like BBC and DW, they plan to rely on FM, and three AM freqs to Russia's "near abroad", which has always been more of a concern to them. Another former powerhouse reduced to broadcasting to the former empire. The problem with local FM is that it can be shut down by local authorities in the event of civil unrest or other disaster, as happened to BBC's Katmandu FM stn during the Nepalese civil war in the mid 2000s.

About 90% of SW had a political, at least, if not a propagandistic purpose. Radio Free Europe, Voice of Russia (new and old), China, Japan, and our own Voice of America come to mind.

Certainly there aren't enough in most of the English speaking world who have the means, let alone the desire to listen anymore. Besides the latest news, most of the content sucks.

Any interest in a "second opinion" on issues of interest is usually met via sources from the WWW. Except for a few of us old guys/gals who have HF receiving capability.

So, if Putin wants to propagandize us, all he has to do is call up Christine Amanpour, and she'll be in Mockba in a half hour for the recorded CNN interview or a longer spiel, as needed. He doesn't need to waste all that energy on half-megawatt transmitters (at probably 75% efficiency) that melt the Winter snow.....or pay off Raul Castro to stoke sugar cane in his nearby power plants and HF radio equipment when Habana Rose is taking a break.

So, bottom line is, we can soon expect to see MORE Ruskie-surplus water-cooled high power triodes and tetrodes on eBay.

There is probably no need whatsoever for general coverage receivers anymore. Outside of us hams, use of the HF spectrum is dying fast.

Yup.

Nobody I know listens to shortwave, especially for any kind of news from other countries. Hah. If I asked anyone I know if they listen to shortwave international broadcasting I'd be met with the strangest look you've ever seen.

Most of the strongest signals I've run across lately are religious broadcasters in the U.S. I guess trying to convert the rest of the world to their particular brand of woo. Good luck with that.

About 90% of SW had a political, at least, if not a propagandistic purpose. Radio Free Europe, Voice of Russia (new and old), China, Japan, and our own Voice of America come to mind.

Certainly there aren't enough in most of the English speaking world who have the means, let alone the desire to listen anymore. Besides the latest news, most of the content sucks.

Any interest in a "second opinion" on issues of interest is usually met via sources from the WWW. Except for a few of us old guys/gals who have HF receiving capability.

So, if Putin wants to propagandize us, all he has to do is call up Christine Amanpour, and she'll be in Mockba in a half hour for the recorded CNN interview or a longer spiel, as needed. He doesn't need to waste all that energy on half-megawatt transmitters (at probably 75% efficiency) that melt the Winter snow.....or pay off Raul Castro to stoke sugar cane in his nearby power plants and HF radio equipment when Habana Rose is taking a break.

So, bottom line is, we can soon expect to see MORE Ruskie-surplus water-cooled high power triodes and tetrodes on eBay.

Russia Today, despite its name, is largely geared towards an American audience-most of the programming is in English and regards NAm and Europe. Russia's allies also have satellite TV, such as Al Jazeera English, to propagandize. Even Iran is shifting to satellite TV, look up "Press TV". I'm seriously thinking of investing in a used Big Ugly Satellite Dish. The only place where HF still lives is in China and Africa, where people are too poor to invest in TV, and too widely scattered for AM and FM. Hams also use HF.

There is probably no need whatsoever for general coverage receivers anymore. Outside of us hams, use of the HF spectrum is dying fast.

Yup.

Nobody I know listens to shortwave, especially for any kind of news from other countries. Hah. If I asked anyone I know if they listen to shortwave international broadcasting I'd be met with the strangest look you've ever seen.

Most of the strongest signals I've run across lately are religious broadcasters in the U.S. I guess trying to convert the rest of the world to their particular brand of woo. Good luck with that.

It's either TV or the internets.

Rumor has it that the "religious" stns in the US are in fact fronts for the CIA. Some have reportedly heard narrow digital subcarriers on them.

There is probably no need whatsoever for general coverage receivers anymore. Outside of us hams, use of the HF spectrum is dying fast.

Yup.

Nobody I know listens to shortwave, especially for any kind of news from other countries. Hah. If I asked anyone I know if they listen to shortwave international broadcasting I'd be met with the strangest look you've ever seen.

Most of the strongest signals I've run across lately are religious broadcasters in the U.S. I guess trying to convert the rest of the world to their particular brand of woo. Good luck with that.

It's either TV or the internets.

Rumor has it that the "religious" stns in the US are in fact fronts for the CIA. Some have reportedly heard narrow digital subcarriers on them.

Digital subcarriers? What's the formula for calculating the proper aperture in the tinfoil hat earflaps to allow these transmissions to be heard?

Russia Today, despite its name, is largely geared towards an American audience-most of the programming is in English and regards NAm and Europe. Russia's allies also have satellite TV, such as Al Jazeera English, to propagandize. Even Iran is shifting to satellite TV, look up "Press TV". I'm seriously thinking of investing in a used Big Ugly Satellite Dish. The only place where HF still lives is in China and Africa, where people are too poor to invest in TV, and too widely scattered for AM and FM. Hams also use HF.

RT is now one of the best news organizations in the world. Shame the Russians even have better news media than the US does now. We are turning into the (formerly police state) USSR, and Russia is turning into the (formerly free) USA.

Nobody I know listens to shortwave, especially for any kind of news from other countries. Hah. If I asked anyone I know if they listen to shortwave international broadcasting I'd be met with the strangest look you've ever seen.

I just tell them that I am listening to numbers stations to receive my invasion planning orders from Jupiter.

There is probably no need whatsoever for general coverage receivers anymore. Outside of us hams, use of the HF spectrum is dying fast.

Yup.

Nobody I know listens to shortwave, especially for any kind of news from other countries. Hah. If I asked anyone I know if they listen to shortwave international broadcasting I'd be met with the strangest look you've ever seen.

Most of the strongest signals I've run across lately are religious broadcasters in the U.S. I guess trying to convert the rest of the world to their particular brand of woo. Good luck with that.

It's either TV or the internets.

Rumor has it that the "religious" stns in the US are in fact fronts for the CIA. Some have reportedly heard narrow digital subcarriers on them.

Digital subcarriers? What's the formula for calculating the proper aperture in the tinfoil hat earflaps to allow these transmissions to be heard?

I have in fact heard some pretty interesting and mysterious sidetones that appear to be digital modulation on Pastor Melissa Scott's broadcasts, you should have a listen for yourself. Covert communications would go a long way toward explaining how these religious broadcasters manage to stay on the air 24/7 with enormous signals. No tinfoil hat needed, just a simple burst of arithmetic will tell you that the operating costs of these stations is out of proportion with their popularity, and the anonymous funding that religious non-profits are allowed to collect would be a perfect match with the secretive nature of the many spying apparatus that exist here in the USA.

Anyway that tinfoil hat stuff is now obsolete thanks to revelations about the out-of-control nature of our government by the likes of Manning and Snowden. Thanks for playing.

Apparently, Putin (or whoever he put in charge of such things) has had a change of heart, and the Voice of Russia will remain on the air, but on a reduced schedule - mostly to the Middle East and Asia.

There is probably no need whatsoever for general coverage receivers anymore. Outside of us hams, use of the HF spectrum is dying fast.

Yup.

Nobody I know listens to shortwave, especially for any kind of news from other countries. Hah. If I asked anyone I know if they listen to shortwave international broadcasting I'd be met with the strangest look you've ever seen.

Most of the strongest signals I've run across lately are religious broadcasters in the U.S. I guess trying to convert the rest of the world to their particular brand of woo. Good luck with that.

It's either TV or the internets.

Rumor has it that the "religious" stns in the US are in fact fronts for the CIA. Some have reportedly heard narrow digital subcarriers on them.

Digital subcarriers? What's the formula for calculating the proper aperture in the tinfoil hat earflaps to allow these transmissions to be heard?

I have in fact heard some pretty interesting and mysterious sidetones that appear to be digital modulation on Pastor Melissa Scott's broadcasts, you should have a listen for yourself. Covert communications would go a long way toward explaining how these religious broadcasters manage to stay on the air 24/7 with enormous signals. No tinfoil hat needed, just a simple burst of arithmetic will tell you that the operating costs of these stations is out of proportion with their popularity, and the anonymous funding that religious non-profits are allowed to collect would be a perfect match with the secretive nature of the many spying apparatus that exist here in the USA.

Anyway that tinfoil hat stuff is now obsolete thanks to revelations about the out-of-control nature of our government by the likes of Manning and Snowden. Thanks for playing.

Those in the know have switched from tin foil hats to the small open wire mesh kitchen cooking strainers, test have shown they have a Faraday shield effect which just about eliminates any thought process at all being detected from above.

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